What fish do you keep and what fish do you release (bass only)?

[Northern Ivy]

Just curious as to what your general practice is for keeping or release bass that you catch? I am interested to hear what people think about breeder fish and meat fish as well as quantity kept for the table given the mercury levels.

This is NOT meant to be a x is better then y thread just interested in what other are thinking.

Personally here are my thoughts.

We typically only keep 28-29" fish. The reason is really two fold. First I do not like fish with thick fillets. The second reason is that I feel that the smaller fish have less heavy metal contaminants.

We only keep fish that we know will be eaten and not wasted; and we do not freeze fish so we only keep what we can eat fresh.

Just curious what are your thoughts on these items?

[JoeyZac]

My general goal is to come home with 2 fish.

First keeper any size goes in the box. Second keeper size fish goes in if it's a big fish (34+), or if I think I may not get another. I do have a bonus tag in the event I box 2 and then catch a trophy, but I've never used it before.

I have not noticed a food quality difference between a 28" and a 38", but I'm not exactly a food "connosieur" either. (Yeah, I spelled it wrong)

[Spooled]

Honestly

Kill my limit-no bonus tag used yet. Prefer the smaller ones but no culling,Ist boated are bled and iced. I do freeze some to give to people or do have for later date. Will only keep enough for special occaisions, ie striper chowder or striper cakes for christmas or thanksgiving , I know lots of elderly people who appreciate the fresh fish so I go down my list.

Caught a 45lber that I killed for limit-but probably will consider that to be my bonus fish this year unless a 60 lber comes my way.

[caesar007]

I don't freeze fish and refuse to give fish away if won't be eaten right away. So with that said, I generally will only keep one (any keeper) and share. If I catch more I'll share with the guy who spent just as much gas and time as I did getting down to the beach.

[A Frayed Knot]

I keep what ever is legal. If I limit out I go home to fish another day.

[Skmag357]

I let all fish go unless its bleeding bad....don't eat fish but I give it away if we do keep....

[thediehardfisherman]

I keep my fish- I never really tasted a differance in a big fish 42"(Never caught anything bigger than a 42") compared to a 28" fish. I never had and never will get a bonus tag. If I do get a limit (only happened 4 times in all 14 or 15 years of striper fishing) I pack up and head home. I only keep what I can eat. I eat some fresh, and freeze the rest and I do share my catch with family friends and the nice ladies @ work.

[sw.dawg79]

If it measures i throw it in the box. You never know if it is your last or not.

[sw.dawg79]

That's 2 in the box. I never got a bonus tag. I guess i'm not lucky enough.

[Fox_Follows]

Honestly

Kill my limit-no bonus tag used yet. Prefer the smaller ones but no culling,Ist boated are bled and iced. I do freeze some to give to people or do have for later date. Will only keep enough for special occaisions, ie striper chowder or striper cakes for christmas or thanksgiving , I know lots of elderly people who appreciate the fresh fish so I go down my list.

Caught a 45lber that I killed for limit-but probably will consider that to be my bonus fish this year unless a 60 lber comes my way.

Do you notice a difference in taste between bleeding -vs- not bleeding? I've never bled one.

I was fortunate enough to bring in a very fat 9.5 lb bass that was only 29 inches, so I kept that one. I used to work for an environmental testing firm and the amount of carcinogenic contamination that ends up in NJ/NY waters is no joke. I read somewhere that they are more concentrated within the red meat so I disregard that.
I eat as much as I can fresh, but I have to freeze some because I can’t eat ‘X’ number of pounds of meat before it goes bad.
Also, don’t forget about the collar :thumbsup:sooo good.

[JoeyZac]

Do you notice a difference in taste between bleeding -vs- not bleeding? I've never bled one..........

Without question bleeding them (any fish for that matter) makes a major difference. Easiest way to do it is to take a knife of scissors and just cut a couple of gills in half. Put them back by the scupper and they'll bleed out right out the back of the boat and 10 minutes later they go in the cooler.

[Fox_Follows]

Without question bleeding them (any fish for that matter) makes a major difference. Easiest way to do it is to take a knife of scissors and just cut a couple of gills in half. Put them back by the scupper and they'll bleed out right out the back of the boat and 10 minutes later they go in the cooler.

Thanks,
I'll have to try it. I might keep one more this year. If I do I'll give it a shot. What, exactly, is the difference?

Thanks again

[JoeyZac]

Thanks,
I'll have to try it. I might keep one more this year. If I do I'll give it a shot. What, exactly, is the difference?

Thanks again

Whiter meat. Test the theory with any fish. Tog, Fluke, even Sea Bass. Bleed them all but one. Compare the filet of a bled one vs a non-bled one and you'll see a difference.

[Joseph Lamberty]

If the fish are biting good I try and keep only the gill damaged or gut hooked fish then I'm done for the night. I have never kept 2 fish from the beach, ( who wants to carry two fish a 1/2- 1 mile) but I have kept two on the boat. ( trophy Fishing) I don't eat striper too often and never once its been frozen usually just on Thanksgiving if I'm lucky to catch one close to Thanksgiving. Most of the fish I do keep are given to those who will never get the opportunity to fish for them ( Elderly) . They aren t too concerned about the P.C.B.s or Mercury.


Live 2 Fish
<><
Forced 2 Work

P.S. since we're getting close, TOG...is a different story, Only family gets those, and I make them beg.:D

[roctheboat aka pigpen]

due to having a baby almost three years ago , and my wife starting her own business, money is tighter than it was in the past. So my fishing trips for a season has been cut down approx, 50 percent than before Rocco came along. So I keep my legal limit and I use my tags I used my first tag for the season last Sunday. I also have not noticed a difference in taste between the bigger and smaller ones. i also feel the bigger ones may lay more eggs at one time , but there are so many more smaller ones laying eggs that the numbers probably push. Plus I also feel that the bigger ones weren't always bigger ones they where once smaller ones themselves, and when a big one is fought it usually comes to the boat half dead and if is not handled correctly will most likely die after the release, but smaller ones are brought to the boat very fast and have a lot of life in them when released and recover much more quickly in a release.

[Gator]

First 5-6yrs I released everything. Siwash hook went deep in the eye of a striper so I kept it. I liked it.
Now I keep 5 or 6 fish each year. I prefer to eat 30" fish.

[Simp]

I eat 'em all! I don't discriminate. From 8 pounds to 80 pounds it's going down the hatch.:D

[Joseph Lamberty]

Its hard to release BIG fish especially if you don't get out alot so I never fault anyone for keeping a " LEGAL" fish but, them guys who keep shorts they irk me...:thumbsup:


Live 2 Fish
<><
Forced 2 work

[MyMistress]

In the spring when I am chasing the big girls I take the first fish of the day and release any others regardless of how many anglers on the boat. Only exception to this would be gut hooked/bleeding fish or possibly if a new personal best.

In the fall, I keep the first fish caught until limit is met until I feel I have enough for family, friends and my own freezer. Then I cut back on what I keep. I have a good live well that allows me to cull out a healthy fish for a gut hook bleeder, so I can keep fishing under C&R after I have my limit.

I have not noticed a big difference in taste in size of the fish and there are plenty of recipes they work well in. They also freeze very well.

Other than Tuna that I only get a few shots at in a season, I don't fish for or keep any other meat like flounder, sea bass, or weakfish.